Eric Block On Responsible Branding

“I’m not upset that you lied to me, I’m upset that from now on I can’t believe you”  – Friedrich Nietzsche

Kudos to the Edelman Trust Barometer and their 2009 report citing the state of trust worldwide.  It dramatically underscores there is nothing short of a pandemic of lack of trust between people and companies, the media, CEOs, and experts.

Building sustainable brands will require regaining public trust and Edelman’s study reported only 38% of people 35-54 years old in the United States trusted U.S. businesses.  The report also showed that in the past year 77% of 25-to-64 year olds around the world refused to buy a product or service from a distrusted company.  

There is now a huge trust gap to overcome but those companies who aggressively recognize and embrace this new reality will be the ones that emerge from the recession with momentum and a long term competitive advantage.  

But now is the critical time to create and align sustainable and socially responsbile business practices with branding and communication programs to help your company stand apart and be among the winners in this new world where actions resonate and words alone will be ignored.